Mechanical movement



y 6, 50 J. M. UNK 2,508,313

7 MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed July 15. 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 16, 19 50 J M, K 2,508,313

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed July 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AGENT Patented May 16, 1950 2,508,313 MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Jacob Marinus Unk, Eindhoven, Netherlands, as-

signor to Hartford National Bank and Trust Company, Hartford, Conn, as trustee Application July 15, 1946, SerialNo. 683,686

, In the Netherlands. March 3, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires March 3, 1963 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device comprising a movable member which is provided with a profiled edge which cooperates with the end of a projecting lug.

' It has been suggested before to provide devices, such as switching clocks, in which a movable component member is provided with a profiled edge which extends substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the said component member and cooperates with the end of a projecting lug in such manner that during the movement of the component member along a certain portion of the path the end of the lug is moved, under the influence of a force acting on the lug, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the component member.

In this case, the movable member may be constructed as a cam disc. It is often desirable that at a given position of the disc the lug should perform a suddenmovement normal to the edge of the disc. In the known constructions this is realised by providing the profiled edge with a re-entrant part where the end of the lug suddenly falls in under the action of a spring. The lug is then raised and the spring stressed over a generally direct-connecting portion of the profiled edge. For this purpose, the slope of this portion must not be excessive, because the lug would not otherwise be raised. In addition, in this case the supply of the energy required for stressing the spring would ensue through an excessively small angle of rotation of the disc and this is impossible in connection with the generally low available driving couple. This.

causes a limitation with regard to the choice of the speed of raising and hence of the retracting movement of the lug.

The invention provides a construction by which the said disadvantages are-obviated and otheradvantages can also be achieved.

According to the invention, the lug is moved back into its original position by an auxiliary lug coupled to the projecting lug and cooperating in an identical manner with the profiled edge of a movable auxiliary member under the influence of a force acting on theauxiliary lug. The rethe lugs may be extended over a large portion of the path of the membersto be moved, without 2 i any limitation as regards the speed of. the retracting movement of the lug resulting therefrom.

In some cases, the retracting movement of the lug must be in a given relation to the forward movement, for example be effected after a given time period or after a certain'angular rotation of a movable shaft. For this purpose, in a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention the component member and the auxiliary member are ganged. A further simplification may thus be achieved in some cases by making the component member and the auxiliary member integral with each other.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention a simplificationjis achieved due to the fact that the lug and the auxiliary lug are rotatable about the same axis, the auxiliary lug carrying the lug along'with it, on continued rotation in one direction, by means of a'stop.

In a further advantageous form of construction of the device according'to the invention, which is particularly suitable'when the lug has to perform a periodical movement, the'component member and the auxiliary member are constructed as cam discs and are rotatably arranged.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, under the influence of the force acting on the lug and due to the slope of the profiled edge, the lug movesthe' component member and the auxiliary member until'the auxiliary lug be comes operative and moves the lug back into its original position. In this case, it is impossible to give the component member or the auxiliary member such a position that the auxiliary lug emains constantly out of its off position. As '-vill appear hereinafter, this construction may be used with advantage inter alia'if a sudden rapid reciprocating movement of a component member is required.

In a further advantageous form of construe lion of the device according to the invention the profiled edges of the component member and the auxiliary member are constructed in such manner that in the case of a progressive movement of the component member the end of the lug suddenly performs a movement normal to the direction of movement of the component member and in the case of a continued movement of the auxiliary component member is suddenly moved back by the auxiliary lug into its original position. This construction has a particular advantage when used in connection with contacts that have to be capable of being suddenly-put into and suddenly cut out of circuit.

In order that the invention may be clearly the movable contact is controlled by theriie'cha-- nism shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the embodimentshownin Figs: 1;. 2 and 3. designates the movable com po'nent member. It is provided with a profiled edge 2 which cooperates with a lug 3 of a lever 4: During contact disc 20, the portion 21 of the profiled edge 28 gets under the end 29 of the lever 23 and under the action of the spring 30 the lever 23 performs a sudden movement about the spindle 25 in a clockwise direction until the stop 26 engages the lever 24. The clipformed by the" levers 23, 24 and thestop' 26 is then kept closed by the spring 30. Obviously, the depth of the recess 21 the movement of the member I in the direction-of the arrow A the lug 3 of the lever trans under the action of a spring 5 behind the re-entr'ant part' of the profiled edge 2. This position is shown in" Fig. 2. According to the invention, the lever 4 can be moved back to its I original position. by an auxiliary lever 1. Thelatter.cooperateswith the profiled edge B'cf theauxiliary member 9. This auxiliary member moves in the direction of the arrow- B simultaneously,- or not,- with the movement of the-component member L- When theauxiliary member has moved in=thedirection of the arrow-Btosuch anextentthat-the reentrant-part lll'ofthe profiled -edgefi passes-by the: end' It of the auxiliary lever l the latter is moved downward underthe action of thespring l This position is'shown in-Fig: 3a In thiscase, according to the invention;- the auxiliary lever carries the lever 4 along with ituntil it has reached its off-position.- This I is "brought about here due to the-factthat thelever I is provided with anextension- I3 which cooperates-with a hook-like portion l4" of the lever 4: Thespring I 2 is more powerful-than =thesp1ing5gso that the lever 4 ismeved by-the-levei '1 againstthe action of thdspring 5=-to itself-position. If desired, the spring 5 can :be replaced by acom'pression spring arranged 5 between thelev'er 4'- and 1 the auxiliary lever: 1. In this-case, thepower of' onespring may be chosen independently of the-:power of the other-spring: It is obvi'ous that in the device described the choice cf the= shape of the :profiled edge s perinits of perfectly"controllingatlie-move ment of the auxiliary lever-"1; and hence' the-r'e= traotirig'movement' of'the lever 4: This' retract in'g movement may therefore be brought about slowly; rapidly'=o'r suddenly: Theen'ergy required for m'ovlng: back thelever kis suppliedby the spring [2; It' niayfbeacciimulated" in it" along practically th'e entire" path which" the: auxiliary memb ertra'verses between two points in 'which the lever I must be caiised to become operativei If desired, the-auxiliary member Q'may be -ooupled or rigidly connected to the component member Ii In the" exampleshowm the r directions t of movement theAi'a nd'B wereparallel-and opposite. As a' matter of' course; this is-not e'ssentiale In the 'form of construction of a device accord ing to I the invention shownin- Fig-2 4-: the com ponent member an'd' the auxiliary member 2 I may. beconstructed 'as cam discs and both secured to" the rotatableshaft 22 Iii tliis" c'ase; the"rota" tion is" effected in the direction of the arrow (3. the'lever' 23and the auxiliary'lever 24*a're rota-'- table ahoutthe"samespindleifi andin' the case of continued rotation in an" anti clockwise" direction the auxiliary lever carries the' lever 23' along with it bymeansof a stop 25: The operation of the mechanism is as follows on rotation of the spindle fi, andhcnc'eof' the is unimportant because the movement of the lever- 23-" is limited by the stop 26 before the end 29-rea'ches theb'otto'm of the recess 21. If the spindle 22'is thenrotated further, the end 3| of-the auxiliary lever 24 will, under the action of the spring 32,-fallint0 the re-entrant part of 33 ofthe'proflled edge 34 of the cam disc 2|. Thus,

however, theauxiliary lever 24 moves the lever 2'3"into its original position by means of the stop 26 On further rotation of the discs 20 and 2| theavxiliary lever 24 is moved into its off-position and the spring 32 is stressed under the action of the sloping part 34 attheedge-of the contact disc 2-!-.- Sinceby this time the end- 29- has again passed by the: recess 21 it isimpossible-forthe lever 23 to follow the said movement of theauxiliary lever 24.- The'clip'is thus opened-and the spring 38 i stressed; On continued rotation of the spindle 22-the springstli and 32 are therefore stressed at-thesame time due to the-end 3| of the lever 24 riding: upon the slope- 34; As may be seen, this slope may extend without difliculty along substantially the entire circumference of the contact disc 2|, that is to say that thesupply of energy by the spindle 22 to the springs 30- and 3-2 is permitted by a very-low supplementary couple on the driven-shaft 22. The lever 23 may. for example have connected-to it an electric contact and the latter is, for example, suddenly opened and subsequently suddenly closed during a continuous rotation of the shaft 22. These two move ments ofthe lever 23 may ensue without difiicultyin very short sequence with each other. This is enabled by that fact that the energy required for the movement of the lever and the contacts that may be connected to'it is supplied beforehand, duringthe entire revolution of 'the spindle 22 and'hence during the period'of'rest of the lever 23, to-thesprings 30 and 32 in which it is accumulated.

Fig. 5' shows aslifghtly modified form of the construction shown in Fig. 4. In this case the end 4!! ofthe lever 42: is beveled. Similarly, the re-entrant part 4! ofthe profiled edge 43 of the contact disc 44 is provided" with a sloped portion 45; The dam disc 44 is rigidly'connected with the auxiliary cam disc 49 and'in contrast to the embodiments shown in Figure 4, these discs are loosely mounted on the driving spindle 46. Both d scs are rotated in the direction-of the arrow D by means of the spindle 46 through the intermediary of acrank 41 secured to the spindle and a catch 48 mounted on" the cam disc 44. When the beginning'of the sloped portion 45 has got unde'rthe end 40 o'f'the lever 42, the cam disc 44; as well a's'thecamdisc 49 connected therewith, is'moved iurther by the lever'42 in the direc ti'on of the arrow" D under the action of the spring 58, independentlyof the movement of the spindle 4 3. Thearra'ngem'en't issuchthat the end 51 ofthe auxiliary lever 52 will fall into the re entrantp'art53 of th'e'profiled'edg'e of the disc 49 before the" rotation of the contact discs caused by the lever l'z 'hascometoan end. Thus; the lever 4:2is' moved back'intoits' original position by the auxiliary lever 52 under the action o'fthe spring Maud the' stop' 55. Inidir'ect 'sequence, the lever 42 eensequ ent ymevs iii a clockwise-direction outof its (imposition and in the opposite diree= tion backinto itsoff position; Obviously it is ini possible to stopthe shaft 46 in such position'that the lever 42 remains permanently in the recess 4! of the cam disc 44. In whatever position the spindle 46 is stopped,- the lever 42 will always finally occupy its off-position. This mechanism may be'nicely' made use of in an automatic registering device, a so-called, writer, in which the pointer of a sensitive measuringinstrument car? ries a drawing stylus which is periodically forced on to a registering strip. This forcing should be effected for a short periodonly because the movement of the measuring device would otherwise be entirely interfered with. If the writing arm is desired to be mechanically driven, the mechanism has to satisfy the requirement that the Writing arm can never keep on occupying its depressed position. For this purpose, the writing arm may be ganged to the lever 42 shown in Fig. in such a way that upon movement of the lever end 42 into the recess 4| the drawing stylus is pressed on the registering strip and immediately thereafter, when lever 42 is lifted out of the reentrant part 4| by means of the auxiliary lever 52 and stop 55, thus leaving the drawing stylus free of the registering strip again.

Fig. 6 shows a diagram of an electric device for checking the rotation of a shaft. In transmitters and electric devices of this kind a relay may have to remain closed so long as a certain shaft rotates. When the latter is stationary the relay is to be opened. A solution thereof is the following: The shaft has connected to it a make and break-contact. During rotation of the shaft this contact connects the condenser 60 to the battery 6| for a short period during each revolution. The condenser 60 thus becomes charged up. The coil 62 of the relay is connected in series with a resistance 63 to the condenser 60 and as long as the condenser is charged the relay remains energized.

The device is so proportioned that on rotation of the shaft the condenser 60 remains continually charged up. The switch 64 may be constituted with advantage by a set of electrical contacts actuated by the lever 42 of a device as shown in Fig. 5, the spindle 46 of which is driven by the shaft to be checked. The arrangement of the cam 44, the electrical contacts 64 and the lever 42 is such, that these contacts 64 are closed only when the lever 42 is lifted out of the recess 4| by means of the lever 52. This ensures that when the shaft to be checked is stationary, the contacts 64 are always in the open position. This obviates the difficulty encountered in the use of a normal sliding contact of the shack to be checked. In the latter case the shaft might happen to be stopped in a position in which the sliding contact is closed, thus keeping the condenser charged and the relay energized notwithstanding the fact that the shaft does not rotate any more. This would cause the relay to remain closed in spite of the shaft being stationary. The use of the construction shown in Fig. 5 avoids this erroneous indication.

The device described may be used with advantage for the intermittent drive of a shaft by a continuously rotating shaft, the coupling between the two shafts being operated by a cam acted upon in accordance with the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A device comprising a pair of discs each having a camming surface, said discs being rigarea-sis idly interconnectedfor common rotative movemen-t about their axes,- a rotatable shaft, an abutment on one of said disc's, means fixedly mounted on said shaft'for rotation therewith and which may freely con-tact said abutment whereby rotation of said shaft; when said means and'said abutment are in contacting relationship, will cause rotation of said'interconnected pair of discs about their axes, but said pair of discs may move together freely ahead of said means, a first lug, means biasing saidlug to bear against one of said camming surfaces whereby said we normally follows the contour of said camming surface by moving in a direction substantially towards and away from the axis of its respective disc, asecond lug, second means biasing said second lug to bear against said other of said camming surfaces whereby said second lug normally follows the contour of said second camming surface by moving in a direction substantially towards and away from the axis of its respective disc, said second biasing means having a greater strength than said first biasing means, engagement means for said lugs which are operable to cause said first lug to be moved in a direction away from the axis of its respective disc, whenever said second lug in following the contour of said other of said camming surfaces moves a predetermined distance in a direction towards the axis of its respective disc, said two camming surfaces having contours so related that said first lug bears against a portion of said one of said camming surfaces which causes said lug to move in a direction towards the axis of its respective disc before said second lug bears against a second portion of said other of said camming surfaces which causes said second lug to move in a direction towards the axis of its respective disc, said first portion having a slope and length so that once said first lug bears on said first portion, said discs will be rotated by said first lug riding on said slope due to the force of said first biasing means until said second lug bears against said second portion, even though said shaft may have stopped rotating at the time said first lug has approached said first portion.

2. A device comprising a pair of discs each having a camming surface, said discs being rigidly interconnected for common rotative movement about their axes, a rotatable shaft, an abutment on one of said discs and offset with respect to the axis thereof, crank means fixedly mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith and which may freely contact said abutment whereby rotation of said shaft, when said crank means and said abutment are in contacting relationship, will cause rotation of said interconnected pair of discs about their axes, but said pair of discs may move together freely ahead of said means, a first lug pivotally mounted on a spindle, means biasing said lug to bear against one of said camming surfaces whereby said lug normally follows the contour of said camming surface by moving in a direction substantially towards and away from the axis of its respective disc, a second lug pivotally mounted on said spindle, said biasing means comprising a spring interconnecting said lugs, second means biasing said second lug to bear against said other of said camming surfaces whereby said second lug normally follows the contour of said camming surface by moving in a direction substantially towards and away from the axis of its respective disc, said second biasing means comprising a spring connected to said sec- 0nd lug: and: to fixed-mounting; and having a greater strength: than said first biasing means; engagementmeans for said=lugswhich are operable to causeisaidfirst lugito bemoved in a'directionaway from the axis of its respective disc, whenever saidsecond lug infoliowing the contour ofsaidother of sa-id camming surfaces moves apredetermined distance in a direction towards the axis of its respectivedisc, said-two camming surfaces havingrcontours so reiated-that said first lug-bears-againsta'portion ofsaid one of said camming sur-faceswhich causes said lugto move in a direction towardsithe-axis of its respective isc before saidsecond lugibears-against a second portion of said' other of 'saidlcamming siir faces-which causessaidl second. lug to move in a direction towards the axis ofits respective disc, said first portion having a slope. and'length so that once said first l'ug. bears ou said first portion, said '8 discs-will bearotaitecfi bx said-i first-lug: riding on said: slope due to. the force: of! said first biasing means until said. second lugbears against said secondportion, even though said shaftmayhave stopped rotating. at the time said: first lug has approached said first portion.

JACOBMARINUS UNK.

REFERENCES GITED The following: references are: of? record 1111 the file of this patent:

UNITED STATESP'A'IENTS- 

